Raleigh’s new cathedral is a testament to a diocese that has rapidly grown in 90 years through faithful evangelization.

RALEIGH, N.C. — Few could have imagined back in 1924 that the newborn Diocese of Raleigh would take root in the soil of North Carolina and become a Catholic powerhouse in the nation’s South.

Ninety years later, and rapidly expanding, the diocese is home to the only Catholic cathedral currently under construction in the United States, a testament to the vibrancy of its people’s faith.

Bishop Michael Burbidge announced the construction of Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral at a press conference in May.

Noting the rapid growth of the diocese, the bishop said it is his “hope, dream and prayer to build a mother church, to build a cathedral” to replace the existing Sacred Heart Cathedral in downtown Raleigh.

Sacred Heart Cathedral has a capacity of 320 people and was originally completed in 1924, when the Catholic population of the state was just 6,000. Today, however, the cathedral has burst its seams, serving a parish base of 3,000 Catholics in a diocese that is home to almost half a million Catholics, or 4.8% of the state’s population.

“We have people literally out in the street,” the bishop said, pointing out that Christmas and Easter celebrations see typically 13-14 Masses, with overflow locations at the cathedral-school basement and local Clarion hotel unable to serve the influx of worshippers.

Bishop Burbidge told reporters that the cathedral helps the bishop “gather the faithful of the diocese to worship as one.”

“Our current cathedral does not [allow that], because it is the smallest one in the U.S., except for Juneau, Alaska.”

Bishop Burbidge explained the diocese has seen 180% growth since 1990. By 2030, the diocese is expected to serve more than 1 million Catholics. “We are a vibrant diocese,” he said.

The bishop added that 1,200 people came into the Church at this year’s Easter vigil, he is celebrating the confirmation of 3,500 high-schoolers in 2014, and he just dedicated his 11th new church in his eight years as bishop.

Traditional Designs

Bishop Burbidge revealed that the new cathedral responded to the input of the faithful he received on a listening tour throughout the diocese. The consensus was for a cathedral that was big (seating no fewer than 2,000 persons), placed the faithful close to the altar with a new cruciform design and had a beauty drawn from the Church’s architectural tradition.

“The people were also very clear in recognizing that we need to build a church that is beautiful and will give glory to God and will be timeless,” he said.

That input actually led the diocese to go with a new architect, James O’Brien of the O’Brien & Keane firm.

“I think this [design] holds true to the sacred, timeless, traditional things we said we would not compromise,” the bishop said.

O’Brien built the stunning St. Catherine of Siena Church in Wake Forest, N.C., and said in statements to the diocesan faithful that Holy Name of Jesus will draw on the church’s “2,000-year heritage of sacred architecture” to become “a traditional cathedral for modern days.”

Cecelia Flanary, a Catholic mother and grandmother in Raleigh, came on board with others to support the new cathedral project when the traditional design assured them it would not look like the dated “spaceship” architecture of some churches in recent decades.

“My first thought was: conversions. We will have conversions from people in Raleigh who otherwise would never have the chance to visit the great cathedrals in Europe,” she said. “And they’ll see this incredible beauty of the Catholic faith.”

Freewill Offerings

The bishop said the 22,000 pledges gathered so far were a free response from a “good faith campaign” the diocese presented about the need for a new cathedral. No parishes were taxed or levied, and the new cathedral will be built with the contributions of the people, not debt.

The diocese has raised more than $34.7 million from redeemed pledges for the cathedral, and has $6.3 million left to go. Bishop Burbidge expressed confidence to reporters based on “very positive feedback” that excitement is building, and so contributions will continue to pour in to meet that shortfall.

“From our point of view, we’re optimistically anticipating to break ground in December,” he said, adding that the project will probably take two years to complete.

He also envisioned that the new cathedral will host “beautiful concerts” of sacred music, a bishop lecture series featuring noted theologians and other guest speakers and help serve the needs of non-Catholic neighbors.

“In other words, a cathedral is always known as a learning center,” he said.

He said that undeveloped land on the site will be allocated to the cathedral school, should it wish to move in the future from its campus next to Sacred Heart Cathedral. The current plan is for the Sacred Heart Cathedral school to build a gymnasium, as the downtown location does not have space for those facilities.

But Sacred Heart Cathedral will not retire once Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral takes its place, but instead will take on a new role for the diocese’s evangelization of downtown Raleigh.

“We will keep that presence,” the bishop said, explaining that it will not only serve those working in the downtown community, but also provide critical support for Catholic Charities in offering services to the most needy of Raleigh.

A Holy Place

The new cathedral is going to be built on land that has special significance for the diocese.

Billy Atwell, the diocese’s communications director, told the Register that the site is called “Nazareth” and “began as a place for missionary work” 113 years ago.

“The current site was purchased by Servant of God Father Thomas Price, the first native North Carolinian to be ordained a Catholic priest, who now has a cause for beatification and canonization in Rome,” he said.

Flanary, who is working to begin a Divine Mercy Radio station in Raleigh, said she is excited about the new possibilities for evangelization. She hopes that the city will put in bus lines to make it easier for the poor to access and enjoy the church’s beauty.

“It is just a matter of time before more people come into the Church,” she predicted.

And just like the hardworking people of Europe who financed the building of their cathedrals with the pennies in their pockets to reflect the glory of the faith, she said, “I can say to my grandchildren and great-grandchildren that I helped build this.”

Comments

Beautiful, and wonderful news. I can’t help but think that, to some degree, this is the fruition of seeds planted long ago by James Cardinal Gibbons, who was made shepherd of the 600-odd Catholics in the entire State of North Carolina in1868. Within 8 years, he had written his seminal apologetic work Faith Of Our Fathers, which no doubt lead to the growth of the faith in North Carolina.

sacred heart will always have the name PRO-CATHEDRAL AS IN ITS SERVICE AS A CATHEDRAL.

Posted by mrscracker on Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 8:20 AM (EST):

Lucille Gibbs ,
Poor folks appreciate beauty, too.
Have you ever been in a cathedral in Latin America? Even smaller parish churches use the finest materials available & you’ll see people of very modest means praying & lighting candles all day long, 7 days a week.Not just an hour on Sundays. It’s an oasis of beauty & prayer for people of all incomes.

Posted by mrscracker on Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 8:12 AM (EST):

Posted by Sean on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 10:23 PM (EDT):

The RCC has to fill the pews somehow as attendance at Mass is at
a fifty year low. So, the more illegal aliens the more coins in the basket.
Open the floodgates, damn the consequences.”
************
Children of illegal migrants who are born in America are US citizens just like everyone else, so the next generation’s no longer “illegal”.
The same sentiments were expressed when the Irish came here during the Famine.There had to be some Catholic “plot” involved.
Catholics are notoriously stingy in what we offer to the collection basket. Would that we could add more"coins.”

Posted by Neil Chapman on Thursday, Jun 12, 2014 8:04 AM (EST):

Bishop is the bomb. We are fortunate to have him.

This is going to be a beautiful testament to the beauty and glory of God. The property is right between the NC State Main and Centennial Campus. There will be lot’s of people encountering Christ through the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral.

Posted by Tom in AZ on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 9:51 PM (EST):

@Lucille Gibbs: Being “modest in choices of materials and design” just means “ugly, tawdry, pedestrian building, that isn’t even very durable”. Why not just build a pre-fab architectural abomination, like the Lutherans in the Upper Midwest used to do? (There’s a reason the spaceships in bad 1950s sci-fi movies were regularly compared to Lutheran churches, on Mystery Science Theater 3000.)

Posted by Sean on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 9:23 PM (EST):

The RCC has to fill the pews somehow as attendance at Mass is at
a fifty year low. So, the more illegal aliens the more coins in the basket.
Open the floodgates, damn the consequences.

Posted by Lucille Gibbs on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 5:27 PM (EST):

I always worry about the impression given to the very poor and folks of other faiths when we Catholics direct such huge amounts of money to such building projects - as admirable as they are.

I receive so many pleas from various Catholic missionaries and other Christian organizations who are trying desperately to feed, clothe, shelter and medically minister to the world. I know that those who are contributing to the building fund are no doubt also very generous to the poor. While it speaks well of the Church in Raleigh to need a much larger facility, I’m hoping that care is taken to be modest in choices of materials and design so that all those poor Hispanics of the area can be be brought under the Cathedral’s sheltering wings.

Posted by AnneG on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 3:57 PM (EST):

Thanks for the focus on NC, an area that usually escapes Catholic news. FYI, there are 2 Catholic dioceses in the state, Raleigh and Charlotte, which is larger. But Raleigh is growing. And, no, it is not just due to Latin Catholics. My parish I Apex has 4000 families. Another in Cary has more than 30,000 registered parishioners, that is registered! We need several more new parishes as we are bursting at the seams.
Bishop Burbidge did a wonderful job explaining the need for the new cathedral, saying that this was a legacy we could leave to future generations just as former generations gave us beautiful cathedrals and churches.
Sam, FYI, the altar is under a baldacchino and there is a high altar in the plans as well as side altars.

Posted by mrscracker on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 3:55 PM (EST):

Matthew Shadle,
Yes, I was thinking of the large Hispanic population in NC, too but many US folks have also moved there from up north for jobs, retirement,lower taxes, etc. That’s part of “the changing demographics” of the South.
I figure, God bless them all.Should be a beautiful cathedral.

Posted by southern catholic on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 2:19 PM (EST):

I love catholic in south! Love friends in Raliegh Diocese! they are faithful and humble! That’s why they are growing. I heard that how the diocese transformed. Priests dress like priest and they call eachother “Father”. All happened after Bishop Burbidge. Plus vocations! May God Glorified with the new carterdal and bless the diocese! pray that they can celebrate New and Own saint, Saint PRICE!

Posted by Matthew Shadle on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 2:08 PM (EST):

The article would be more accurate if it mentioned that the phenomenal growth in the population of the diocese is almost entirely due to the growth in the Hispanic population through immigration. The Hispanic population in North Carolina has grown by about 600% since 1990. Using the Diocese of Raleigh’s numbers, the population of the diocese is well over half Hispanic. Its numbers include 240,000 “unregistered Hispanics,” and Hispanics must make up part of the 210,000 registered Catholics, as well. Of course, the central focus of the story is the cathedral, but a more accurate portrayal of the diocese’s increasing importance would also reflect the changing demographics of the Catholic Church in the U.S.

Posted by Mary McIver on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 1:41 PM (EST):

Looks like I’m putting a trip to this Cathedral on my bucketlist!

Posted by sam on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 12:03 PM (EST):

Unfortunately, the liberties taken after Vatican 2 are in place in this new building, that is, the altar placement. There was NOTHING in Vatican that dictated the altar had to be placed in the middle, or that the priest was to face the people. Thankfully, so many parishes, churches, around the country are restoring their interiors back, adding communion rails, sacred music, traditional altar placements. The Traditional Church is returning, thank God!

Posted by Joseph Sciame on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 10:12 AM (EST):

What a wonderful and positive story to rad about in an oftentimes burdensome and more down society. Congratulations to Bishop Michael! Our Catholic Church is alive and well, if we would just talk about all of these happenings vs. other negative stuff. We have some beautiful houses of worship in our great country and this will add another to the list.

Posted by Sean on Wednesday, Jun 11, 2014 9:42 AM (EST):

Great news. It will be beautiful.
AMDG

Posted by Jen D. on Tuesday, Jun 10, 2014 5:42 PM (EST):

I am from this area and so proud to think of Raleigh having a much larger cathedral. I look forward to attending mass there someday!

A truly beautiful cathedral under construction, so refreshing! (Unlike a let’s just say not-so-beautiful recently constructed cathedral in Los Angeles, CA, no offense.) This North Carolina Catholic Cathedral shall serve as a sanctuary for tired souls (on this weary crazy world) in need of the Peace only Christ can give. Thank the Lord for this diocese.

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